Love at Twelfth Sight
by BowlNoodlez
Summary: -KAKAIRU- A collection of short drabbles presenting the emotions and feelings Umino Iruka has had when seeing Hatake "Sharingan" Kakashi.
1. Distain

Quick Author's Note: Yeah, yeah I have other fics that I _really, REALLY_ need to finish, but this plot bunny was annoying the hell out of me so I just had to get it down. It's completely finished and the whole thing will be put up in a few days. Thanks for reading and I promise I will finish my other fic as soon as my computer stops being a dick.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Distain

The first time Umino Iruka saw the great Hatake Kakashi, he hadn't been too impressed.

He had been out with his father when they had run into none other than the "Yellow Flash", Namikaze Minato, and his newly formed Genin team. Iruka's father had known Minato through a mission they had together and after introducing his new students they talk amiably while his team stood behind him. Although there were two others Iruka hadn't ever heard of before (a pretty kunoichi and a loud mouth Uchiha), it was the quiet masked boy at the end that piqued Iruka's interest.

He had heard all about the child prodigy of the Hidden Leaf and honestly he had been expecting someone with a little more pizzazz. While he hadn't imagined an eight-foot tall beefed up six-year-old, he defiantly hadn't expected a normal sized boy two years his elder who looked as if he were barely out of preschool, let alone a renowned ninja academy. The silver haired kid was stoic and stiff, with shoulders back and head held high, and frankly Iruka didn't see what the big deal was. All the small four-year old saw in his naive eyes was a poor boy that had lost his childhood due to his disgrace of a father which he didn't really understand at his young age.

As his father and Minato said their goodbyes he politely waved as the Uchiha and the girl said farewell, but all Iruka could remember was the cold way Kakashi had turned and just walked away, giving Iruka the worst first impression you could leave on a four-year old.


	2. Fear

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Fear

The second time Iruka saw Hatake Kakashi had been only a few rushed seconds, but it still burned brightly in Iruka's memory.

He didn't know the whole story but apparently something had gone wrong on the mission Kakashi and his team had been sent on. He had been practicing in the forest nearby for his upcoming attendance in the Ninja Academy when he heard the rustle of feet and the shouts of medical Nins. Rushing through the trees and bush of the woods he made it out to see a tuff of bloddy silver hair being carried away on a stretcher while his female teammate broke down into tears. He didn't see much but as the stretcher rushed passed he almost felt time stop as he glanced through the various medics that surrounded the device. All he could really see was the large gash on the boy's face across his left eye and a glimmer of red that defiantly didn't belong to blood.

Still being young and untrained, even this small gruesome glimpse had been enough to make Iruka feel uneasy and slightly sick. Running back to the woods he sat at a nearby post used for shurinken training and wrapped his arms around his knees, shaking from what he had seen. Although the first time he had seen the other boy Iruka hadn't really liked the so-called prodigy, he knew no one deserved to be cut up like that and the thought made him tremble even harder. Iruka knew what it was like to be ninja, and the risks it required, both mentally and physically, but this was the first time he had actually witnessed a first hand account of a mission gone wrong. And for the first (but not the last) time Iruka Umino felt the dreaded painful spike of pure fear run through him.


	3. Envy

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Envy

The third time Iruka saw Kakashi Hatake had been rather shocking to say the least.

The now thirteen-year-old Kakashi was incredibly different from the emotionless, mission focused six-year-old he had seen so many years ago. Iruka had been doing detention for a (relatively) harmless prank he had pulled on his teacher. Iruka thought he was being overly punished as the teacher made it clear that he would do detention until the flour was completely washed out of her hair, but what was done was done and the small Genin was forced to clean every desk on the first floor of the school until you could practically see through them.

It was while he was scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain that he had heard someone enter the empty room. Looking up he saw none other than the silver-haired teen glance around the room until he spotted the poor Iruka washing away. Kakashi had smiled and waved, the exact opposite of what he would have done the first time Iruka had seen him, and Iruka nodded in turn. Soon after, Iruka noticed the tall-tell vest of a newly appointed Jounin and suddenly felt a rush of envy toward the other boy. Here he was indignantly scrubbing away at some stupid stain on some stupid desk when this kid, who was barely older than he was, was already a Jounin. Said Jounin had asked where someone he had never even heard of was and Iruka shrugged in reply, Kakashi had then smiled (or at least Iruka thinks he smiled for all he could see of the teen was one curved eye) , thanked the boy, and left.

Afterwards, all Iruka could think about was that dumb Jounin vest and how he didn't have one yet, so he released all his jealousy fueled anger on the poor stain, which never had a chance against the wrath of Iruka.


	4. Pity

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Pity

The fourth time Iruka saw Kakashi was under the worst possible circumstances.

The Nine-tails Demon Fox was finally vanquished, and it only cost the lives of about a hundred ninjas, including Iruka's parents and the great Forth Hokage. Oddly enough all of Iruka's tears had been drained from him and as the scarred boy stared as the funeral progressed he felt numb and the dull thud of his headache that reminded Iruka that he was still alive and that this wasn't a dream. With no tears to shed, Iruka had looked about the populace of the funeral. Many looked angry and scared, while others still looked shocked as if they just heard of what had happened. Eventually his eyes landed on a certain Jounin and they locked onto the other man.

From the angle all he could see was the mask and the headband that was knocked down to cover one eye. Perhaps it was his subconscious that wanted any distraction from this terrible event, but all Iruka could think of at that moment was the eye that was hidden under that metal plate. He already _knew _what was underneath, many told stories of the single Sharingan eye Kakashi had possessed, a sad memento of his old Genin team, but Iruka wanted so desperately at that moment to see it. To have is hard ruby gaze bring him out of this nightmare he seemed to be stuck in, although he knew the Sharingan (or any ninja ability) could possibly reverse time and rewrite history, Iruka's shock-induced mind was willing to believe that Kakashi had that power. That is until the Jounin turned his head slightly and caught the gaze he no doubt felt staring into his head.

When Iruka saw the despair in the other's eye he knew that Kakashi probably wished he too had that time reversing skill as he would use it in a second. Through that single dark orb Iruka seemed to almost be able to feel all the anguish and despair that the Jounin had been going through all his life. From the suicide of his father to the death of his former teammates, Iruka could feel it all. The pain was so much that Iruka had to jerk his head away from the single eyed gaze as a new wave of emotion swept through him. Pity. Pity for himself, for the village, and overall for Kakashi, who not only had lost all dear to him, but continued to lose others, always in the worse ways imaginable.

As he looked back up to once again acknowledge the proceeding funeral he chanced a glance at the silver-haired man only to notice that the Jounin had disappeared entirely.


	5. Belief

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Belief

It was many years after the Kyuubi Incident that Iruka next saw Kakashi for the fifth time, and ironically it was the Yondaime who was indirectly bringing them together again.

The young boy whom the late Hokage had imprisoned the Demon Fox into had wormed his way into the teacher's heart but now the blonde had graduated and was about to take the test to see if he worthy of being part of a full time Genin team. A team lead by none other than Sharingan Hatake Kakashi himself. Needless to say Iruka was a nervous wreck. A talk with the Sandaime revealed that, although a great sensei, Kakashi had never passed a single Genin team before and that information alone was enough to make Iruka shake with worry. That entire terrible affair with Mizuki would be for naught if Naruto was to fail so soon afterwords, the poor boy would be crushed beyond belief. Iruka wrung his hands as he sat with the Sandaime, nervously tapping his foot, staring at the picture of Kakashi on the table.

"Iruka," the Hokage said sternly, "You need to stop worrying and believe in him." Although the words were few and simple, it had made Iruka feel a smidgeon better. He didn't really know if the Hokage was telling him to believe in Naruto or Kakashi so he did both. He believed in Naruto's determination and strength to pull him though and prove that he was not only ready to become a full fledged ninja of the Hidden, but to show that he had the power to one day achieve his dream of becoming the greatest and to take the title of Hokage. But Iruka also had to believe in Kakashi, believe that the silver-haired prodigy was able to really see underneath the underneath to the dedication and faith Naruto had toward his village and his role in society.

So putting his palms together, Iruka stopped worrying and fretting and he just _believed._


	6. Anger

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Anger

It was the sixth time that Iruka saw Kakashi that he truly found out was pure anger and hatred felt like.

That damn fucking egotistical Jounin was going to allow his team to go the Chuunin Exams despite Iruka's blatant objection. The bastard then had the gull to make a fool of Iruka, questioning his role as teacher and as Naruto's guardian. It was the latter that really peeved Iruka, just because he had the heart to care about people didn't mean he was a bad ninja, even if being ninja meant he should rid himself of strong emotion. He wasn't like that however, he wasn't the type of person to disregard his heart like that, and right now his heart was telling him that this whole Chuunin Exam thing was a bad idea.

Usually not one to blatantly wear his heart on his sleeve, Iruka was so full of burning rage that he stomped his way back to his apartment, a scowl on his face and a faint growl from his lips. There was a hot and angry aura surrounding Iruka which even regular citizens could feel as they walked passed. This sight of the obviously ticked off teacher made those on his path cross the street or even turn tail and flee. This effect that he was having on his fellow villagers made the poor Chuunin even angrier and his footfalls became harsh and quick.

Suddenly, Iruka stopped dead in his tracks making it seem to those around him as if he had run face first into some invisible wall. He had stopped in front of a large wheat field and slowly he turned to face an object dead centre in the middle of it. Said object was a weather worn scarecrow with a shabby, homemade hitai-ate hanging lob-sided of the scarecrow's head, and because of the wind storm they had not to long back, there was a large gash across the top of it's head where a handful of hay and tuffs of cotton stuck out haphazardly. This had made the scarecrow look very much like a certain Jounin that Iruka wanted so much to throttle right then, and the poor scarcrow didn't even get a warning before a barrage of weapons was hurled it's way.

It was about five or six minutes later that the last kunai struck accurately and impressively right between the scarecrow's eyes, and the fact that he had run out of weapons gave Iruka the chance to fully observe the destruction he just caused. One arm had completely fallen off and the other one was dangling precariously off it's shoulder, there were numerous cuts and rips where missed shurinken had sliced the cloth surface, and bunches of hay and cotton which had fallen out scattered the ground like blood on a battlefield. As Iruka stared, stunned at his own actions, a strong gust of wind blew by causing the headband to fall off the dead scarecrow, landing with a soft thump on the dirt. This seemed to stir Iruka from his reprieve and he turned around to see a group of passerbys who had just witnesses the brutal killing of a fine upstanding scarecrow. They all had a look of shock and terror on their faces which made Iruka embarrassed and all the more pissed at how his day had been going. With a awkward chuckle and a polite nod the murderer walked away from the scene of the crime, not even talking the time to pull the weapons out of his innocent victim.


	7. Relief

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Relief

Although he had seen him a few times since the last, Iruka was too fueled with anger and worry to count them, and so it was after the attack on the village by Orochimaru that he saw Kakashi for the seventh time.

The sense of déjà vu was so incredibly strong Iruka had to concentrate to not be sick. The only difference was the smaller death count and the weather, which had been ironically sunny the last time. No matter the differences it was still the same feeling that populated the village as they stood mourning. The Sandaime was gone, dead in a matter that was so similar to Minato that it had made everyone shiver when they thought about it. As the funeral proceeded Iruka stood there in the exact same spot he stood at the last Hokage funeral and standing near him at the exact same angle and distance, was Hatake Kakashi standing stiff and looking deceptively calm. As the teacher looked upon him, Iruka noted another difference between that last service and this one. He now knew what the covered Sharingan eye looked like and now Iruka concentrated on the masked face.

What did the silver-haired man look like underneath that thin veil of cloth? Did he have scars? Was his skin smooth or rough with stubble? As the Chuunin pondered these questions he noticed the focus of his attention turn his way, and just like before connect their gaze. Iruka still saw the hurt and pain in that dark eye, but instead of jerking his face away from the other like a coward, he did something rather different. He smiled. Only Iruka could send a smile that said :"I'm sorry for the way I acted" and "It'll be okay, don't worry" all at once. A flash of something like surprise passed Kakashi's eye for a brief second before he nodded toward the Chuunin, acknowledging his apology, his sympathy, and his greeting.

As the two men broke their locked gaze Iruka kept smiling despite the seriousness of the event he was attending. That small nod Kakashi sent his way sent a flood of relief through Iruka and made the teacher realize that maybe it really will be alright.


	8. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine though I desperately wished it was

Forgiveness

It wasn't surprising when Iruka found Kakashi at the Memorial stone after the events with Sasuke, marking the eighth time he'd seen the man.

Everything that could have gone wrong with that mission did, and now the whole village seemed to be on edge. Sasuke was gone, Naruto—along with others that had gone on the mission—were in the hospital, and Sakura had holed herself away in her home not speaking to anyone, even though many had tried. Some terrible, arrogant side of Iruka wanted to march up to the Jounin and yell, "I told you so!" at the top of his lungs, because that side of him still thought that if the three hadn't gone to the Chuunin exams in the first place none of this would have happened. It was a selfish though, born of foolish pride and anger, and Iruka knew in the bottom of his heart that if this didn't happen at the Chuunin Exams it would have happened sooner or later. Sasuke's heart was too full of betrayal and hate for this to have never have happened eventually.

Thus, here the teacher was none twenty feet away from the broken Jounin, standing in the rain concerned for his fellow sensei. Kakashi seemed to have barely had the chance before his team dissipated and broke away. It was a dark kind of irony considering this was the first team he had ever passed and he had such bright hopes for them, and that made it all the worse. Iruka watched as Kakashi sat in the rain in front of the large black stone, the Sandaime's name freshly engraved on the marble surface. Gathering his courage, Iruka finally calmed his nerves enough to tread up the slope to the memorial stone. He stepped past Kakshi and knelt in front of the stone, letting his fingers trace over the names . He paused slightly at names that meant the most to him: his parents, the Yondaime, friends that he had lost on missions, and so forth. He stopped at two of the freshest names carved on the stone; Gekkou Hayate and the Sandaime, Sarutobi.

Waves of grief and sadness passed through Iruka as he remembered the two great nin. It was during this reprieve when he heard a deep voice behind him.

"I'm sorry."

However when he turned to acknowledge the apology, the Jounin was already gone, leaving Iruka alone with his grief, and as tears started to pour from the Chuunin's eyes he turned back to the stone.

"I forgive you."


	9. Happiness

Disclaimer: The idea might be mine but nothign else is.

Happiness

Iruka thought it was fate that caused his ninth meeting with Kakashi.

Ever since Naruto left not too long ago to train with that perverted sensei, Iruka had been avoiding Ichiraku ramen with an almost dreaded fear, Iruka was an emotional man, one of the reasons way he never made it into ANBU, and he knew that going to the little ramen bar would cause him to be hit with a wave of nostalgia so strong he might possibly break down into tears right there in the street.

However, as of late he had developed a craving for Ichiraku's BBQ pork ramen that was so strong that he'd be willing to risk a public mental breakdown just for a taste of the delicious dish.

And so the teacher traveled to the small restaurant and when he pulled back the familiar red and white banner he was surprised to see none other than the silver haired nin himself sitting at the far end of the bar. After standing there slightly awkward for a few moments, Iruka noticed Kakashi patting the empty seat next to him. Taking the silent invitation Iruka slid slowly into the seat adjacent to Kakashi and ordered his meal.

There was a good thirty seconds of silence before the Jounin finally spoke up, "Heard from Naruto lately?"

Startled by the sudden question Iruka paused slightly, "Um... yeah I just got a letter from him a few days ago. His training is going well although he says that Jiraiya-sensei is always asking him to do his Sexy no Jutsu."

Kakashi sighed, "I knew that technique would cause him trouble someday."

"I know!" Iruka replied, "I kept telling him to stop using it, but what does he do? Not _only_ does he keep at it but he teaches it to Konohamaru! And I thought I was done with that blasted technique when Naruto graduated..."

Iruka almost thought he was a smile underneath that mask but the Jounin spoke up before he could be sure, "Did I ever tell you about the time that Naruto tried to use that technique to seduce me into taking off my mask?"

Iruka laughed, something he hadn't really done for a good three months, "Haha, no. Do tell."

The two talked and laughed for a good three hours before the owner of Ichiraku ushered them out to close shop. After a bit of convincing, Iruka allowed Kakashi to walk him home. When they had finally reached Irukas front step Kakashi became suddenly serious, "Thank you for staying with me tonight Iruka-sensei. I don't think you know how much I needed it."

Iruka blinked in confusion, "Huh? Needed what?"

This time Iruka was sure that Kakashi was smiling under that black cloth, "To be happy."

And as Iruka watched the older nin walk away he realized he knew exactly how Kakahsi felt, because Iruka had needed it just as much.


End file.
